Zone 2 issue with 1068

[ekkoville]

Setting up zone two today and spent a considerable amount of time trying to get sound in the other room. I came to the conclusion that the 1068 dosen't distribute digital sound from coax or optical out to zone two. The CD player worked fine, but no digital format. The menu allows you to select specific sources or just 'source', and none would allow coax or optical out to zone 2. Does this sound right?

Erik

[Scherr]

It is in the manual that zone 2 only works with analog inputs. This is true with virtually every preamp and receiver because it has only one set of DAC's. In order to allow different sources to be played in the two zones, only analog sources can be played in zone 2.

Scott

[VGuarino]

I just read about Zone 2 and analog inputs in the 1056 manual. Yep, only analog. Is this the reason why some people redirect the fronts to zone 2 and use the second amp for the fronts?

V

[ekkoville]

Thank you Scott, I was going nuts with the hookup thinking there was a problem with the 1068. Very frustrating when you don't have the manual with you and nothing is helping.

Erik

[Scherr]

No, redirecting the fronts will not allow you to use a digital source in Zone 2. Redirecting the source allows you to use a separate amp in your main zone while being able to use the internal amps in Zone 2. It avoids the need to buy two pairs of amps if you want the better amps in the main zone.

Scott

I just read about Zone 2 and analog inputs in the 1056 manual. Yep, only analog. Is this the reason why some people redirect the fronts to zone 2 and use the second amp for the fronts?

V

[VGuarino]

Thanks Scott.

So there is no way to get digital to the second zone? I was thinking I could have a second zone upstairs. Used with my pc that is sending digital to the 1056.

Hmmm, if the sound card has both 5.1 analog out and digital out????

V

[ekkoville]

V, are you running the 1056 downstairs or upstairs? The sound card's headphone out would work with a mini to RCA adapter into the second zone.

[VGuarino]

Erik,

Yes, the 1056 is downstairs along with all of my other equipment and computer. I want to get the music upstairs in the living room for my wife. I'm in the process of copying our CD's into a lossless format.

My computer is a laptop which I was thinking of adding a USB M-Audio Sonica Theater as a soundcard. It's 7.1 with a coax out along with the 8 channels. Also a head set out.

I'm assuming the headphone out of my laptop may not have great analog quality. I'm not sure though....

Vin

PS, hi neighbor. I'm in Hudson.

[Kevin D]

Since there could be quality loss with the headphone out, why not just pick up a cheap (or expensive) digital to audio converter to do the conversion..

Kevin D.

[VGuarino]

Kevin,

So go from digital on the m-audio, to a DA converter, to the zone 2 inputs on the 1056? (and a two channel amp to speakers)

Vin

[ekkoville]

The DAC sounds like a better answer than the phones out. I will tell you that I was streaming internet audio from my Toshiba phone out to an analog input on the 1068 and it sounded great. I am sure the DAC is better, I wish I had one. My question would be: there is one input for zone 2, how do you send analog and digital media to zone 2?

P.S. I noticed after several posts that Hudson was in fact NH's Hudson. Sometimes it catches you off gaurd when you hear from people all over the world here, it's great and good to see some local blood here.

Erik

[VGuarino]

My question would be: there is one input for zone 2, how do you send analog and digital media to zone 2?

Erik

I think you'd take the digital output from the computer sound card, convert to analog, use two analog inputs on the 1056, then the zone 2 output would go to an amplifier. The DAC's are quite expensive though...(ballpark $1000)

Or am I totally confused??? :-)

Vin

[ekkoville]

I think that's it Vin.....DAC to analog, then to inputs on pre/pro.

Erik

[Kevin D]

I think you'd take the digital output from the computer sound card, convert to analog, use two analog inputs on the 1056, then the zone 2 output would go to an amplifier. The DAC's are quite expensive though...(ballpark $1000)

Or am I totally confused??? :-)

Vin

Ok, my mistake.. It's cheap to go from analog to digital (~$50).. I couldn't find a cheap DAC.. Looking at the M-audio USB adapter, the headphones out double as front l/r outputs.. Should just be a software setting to make sure they are set to front outs (line-level, instead of low power speaker-level headphone outputs).. With that, just pick up a $3 1/8" to stereo RCA adapter at Radio Shack.

Kevin D.

[Stevebez]

Well I was going to go the whole zone 2 business but it sounds like a bit of a waste of time if you cannot pass all inputs to this zone.

If I understand the thread right Zone2 does not give you any digital (even unprocessed) output at all? Zone2 only outputs analogue pre-amplified output from analogue inputs.

Zone2 is a bit pointless if it cannot pass at least unprocessed digital in my view...

Rgds Steve.

[ekkoville]

Steve, one of the biggest reasons for my recent upgrade was zone 2. I have three other rooms to send audio to and one reason was the digital music from Comcast Cable. It is a great way to enjoy uninterupted music in various rooms, but now I think I will have to come up with a workaround of sorts. A little disappointing I must say. This may be a wish list item, but I am not sure if software upgrade can be used to direct the selected digital source. Maybe Aussie Geoff will notice this.

Erik

[Kevin D]

Well I was going to go the whole zone 2 business but it sounds like a bit of a waste of time if you cannot pass all inputs to this zone.

If I understand the thread right Zone2 does not give you any digital (even unprocessed) output at all? Zone2 only outputs analogue pre-amplified output from analogue inputs.

Zone2 is a bit pointless if it cannot pass at least unprocessed digital in my view...

Rgds Steve.

Is it really that big of a deal to run a set of cheap RCA's for every source? I can't really think of any device that doesn't have analog out in addition to digital.

If you want to send a digital signal somewhere else, why not just use the REC out (zone3 basically with no volume control). That does have a digital output..

Kevin D.

[Stevebez]

This is true - but then why bother with the whole Zone2 functionality in the first place?

Rgds Steve.

[ekkoville]

I guess the function of selecting the "source" in the menu for zone 2 was a nice feature. Now with RCA cables everywhere, you have to manually select the source when you switch from say, tuner to video 3 or to CD.

Erik